1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile communication devices and, more particularly, to a mobile communications device having a rotating display and a camera.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
U.S. Pat. Nos. D392,968 and D447,740 disclose communicators which have two housing sections pivotably attached to each other and two display screens on one of the housing sections. Mobile telephones which have cameras for taking digital photographs or for taking videos are also known in the art (image phones). There exist problems with conventional image phones, namely, in regard to screen orientation and camera lens protection.
Regarding screen orientation, landscape orientated screens are generally much more suited to picture capture, as in all digital cameras. However finding good ergonomic form factors for this is difficult in image phones. Portrait screens fit better into a small compact phone and are generally preferred for phone use. The conflict between landscape and portrait for different uses is a problem.
Regarding camera lens protection, the protection of camera lenses from dirt and damage is becoming more critical as the image quality expected from camera phones is increasing. There is a desire for lens covers that are intuitive; which cannot accidentally be left open, and are simple to use.
In the past, these problems were either not addressed, or a compromise between all the issues was settled for. Many phones take pictures using a portrait screen, but only using a central landscape strip image in the portrait screen. This does not utilize the full screen. Often, camera lenses are just covered by a clear cover or part of the case, which can become dirty or scratched, affecting the picture quality, or a small fiddly sliding opaque cover over the lens is used.